Comments on: bribery and the pioneer spirit https://thisfish.com/bribery-and-the-pioneer-spirit/ Found the bike. Not changing the title. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Carrie Boo https://thisfish.com/bribery-and-the-pioneer-spirit/#comment-625 Carrie Boo Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:20:11 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=112#comment-625 Yay for little things that make you happy! And congrats on the credit card debt. I'm in a similar place, my car will be paid off in May and my card in a little over a year. And then on to student loans! Those will take another 2, but THEN I will finally be able to save for a house! How do people manage to afford kids nowadays? Those tax credits can't be that much lol. I know what a great feeling it is to watch your debt go bye-bye. After it's gone, please buy yourself something unnecessary! Yay for little things that make you happy! And congrats on the credit card debt. I’m in a similar place, my car will be paid off in May and my card in a little over a year. And then on to student loans! Those will take another 2, but THEN I will finally be able to save for a house! How do people manage to afford kids nowadays? Those tax credits can’t be that much lol. I know what a great feeling it is to watch your debt go bye-bye. After it’s gone, please buy yourself something unnecessary!

]]> By: T in NH https://thisfish.com/bribery-and-the-pioneer-spirit/#comment-388 T in NH Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:38:37 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=112#comment-388 Congrats on your pretty shoes! We do need little treats of some kind every so often. Hear you on all fronts except Mom bribing me to shop or buying me anything. I am still working on the debt with a solid goal but I'll tell you, after a come-to-Jesus talk w/myself and trimming the budget to an extremely minimal amount for a buffer/splurge (say a $2 DD coffee), I switched to a cash system. So now, I take the $$ out at the bank every week and split up my 5s & 10s into my budget categories. If I want to indulge in something (like the previously mentioned coffee) I may borrow from something but usually I realize I don't really need/want it enough. And when the cash is gone, it's gone. It's a great feeling paying cash & just walking away from the register w/no added debt. I'm completely hooked. I like Chrissie Lynn's $200 shopping requirement, going to log that one in the memory bank! Congrats on your pretty shoes! We do need little treats of some kind every so often.

Hear you on all fronts except Mom bribing me to shop or buying me anything. I am still working on the debt with a solid goal but I’ll tell you, after a come-to-Jesus talk w/myself and trimming the budget to an extremely minimal amount for a buffer/splurge (say a $2 DD coffee), I switched to a cash system. So now, I take the $$ out at the bank every week and split up my 5s & 10s into my budget categories. If I want to indulge in something (like the previously mentioned coffee) I may borrow from something but usually I realize I don’t really need/want it enough. And when the cash is gone, it’s gone. It’s a great feeling paying cash & just walking away from the register w/no added debt. I’m completely hooked.

I like Chrissie Lynn’s $200 shopping requirement, going to log that one in the memory bank!

]]> By: chrissie lynn https://thisfish.com/bribery-and-the-pioneer-spirit/#comment-318 chrissie lynn Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:46:56 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=112#comment-318 ha! i know this all too well... i practiced and practiced until i took all the fun out of shopping. after paying off a large debt i treated myself to a shopping spree where i was "required" to spend 200 dollars. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS! it seemed so outlandish at that point to spend that much that i left with all the cash in my purse, i think i bought a pretzel or something. but if my experience means anything: this "i hate shopping" thing can be remedied with <i>more shopping</i> watch out for that part! ha! i know this all too well…

i practiced and practiced until i took all the fun out of shopping. after paying off a large debt i treated myself to a shopping spree where i was “required” to spend 200 dollars.

TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!

it seemed so outlandish at that point to spend that much that i left with all the cash in my purse, i think i bought a pretzel or something.

but if my experience means anything: this “i hate shopping” thing can be remedied with more shopping

watch out for that part!

]]> By: Colleen https://thisfish.com/bribery-and-the-pioneer-spirit/#comment-306 Colleen Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:16:43 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=112#comment-306 I did the exact same thing when shopping with my mom right after Christmas. She wanted to buy me and my sister a shirt to wear for New Year's Eve. My sister couldn't pick just one thing. I, on the other hand, found nothing that I 'needed'. I ended up with some sweater that was on sale and could be worn to work. I did not wear it for NYE. I can't justify shopping for clothes when I can't seem to establish a savings account above $50. My no-shopping for the past year has allowed me to contribute a large sum to my IRA for the first time in 2-1/2 years. Of course I won't feel the worth of that until I retire.... I did the exact same thing when shopping with my mom right after Christmas. She wanted to buy me and my sister a shirt to wear for New Year’s Eve. My sister couldn’t pick just one thing. I, on the other hand, found nothing that I ‘needed’. I ended up with some sweater that was on sale and could be worn to work. I did not wear it for NYE. I can’t justify shopping for clothes when I can’t seem to establish a savings account above $50. My no-shopping for the past year has allowed me to contribute a large sum to my IRA for the first time in 2-1/2 years. Of course I won’t feel the worth of that until I retire….

]]> By: Jen https://thisfish.com/bribery-and-the-pioneer-spirit/#comment-302 Jen Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:51:48 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=112#comment-302 I STILL have to remind myself to stop looking so I can stop wanting. Fortunately, the husband is very, very good at it and that really helps. I did have to unsubscribe from all the email list from my favorite on-line stores and forcibly restrain myself (more or less) from visiting sites where that have great deals on stuff I didn't realize I "needed"... There's only so much self-restraint in a person and if I use it up by saying no to buying the stuff I didn't need until I saw it, I won't have any left over to say no to eating the junk food I wasn't hungry for until I saw it! Also - kudos to you for getting out of debt! That's wonderful. I still remember how joyful and free and positively elated I felt when I sent in that last check to AMEX! I didn't use a credit card for almost three years after that. I use them now, but always pay the full balance every month. Once you've escaped from the dungeon of consumer debt you do NOT want to go back! I STILL have to remind myself to stop looking so I can stop wanting. Fortunately, the husband is very, very good at it and that really helps. I did have to unsubscribe from all the email list from my favorite on-line stores and forcibly restrain myself (more or less) from visiting sites where that have great deals on stuff I didn’t realize I “needed”… There’s only so much self-restraint in a person and if I use it up by saying no to buying the stuff I didn’t need until I saw it, I won’t have any left over to say no to eating the junk food I wasn’t hungry for until I saw it!

Also – kudos to you for getting out of debt! That’s wonderful. I still remember how joyful and free and positively elated I felt when I sent in that last check to AMEX! I didn’t use a credit card for almost three years after that. I use them now, but always pay the full balance every month. Once you’ve escaped from the dungeon of consumer debt you do NOT want to go back!

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